The deaths of 14 people believed to be illegal miners in Benoni, east of Johannesburg and the ongoing case in the Virginia, Free State involving 22 illegal miners and another illegal mining incident in Mpumalanga have once again brought illegal mining activities into the spotlight. The arguments in Virginia included submissions that illegal mining had led to some mining companies shutting down operations. David Van Wyk is with the Bench Mark Foundation and he has done research into illegal mining, otherwise called the Zama-Zama business.